1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a hand held, dental flosser utensil. In particular, it relates to a locking mechanism on such a dental flosser which is selectable for dispensing new floss or locking the floss to prevent slippage.
2. Description of the Relevant Art
In recent years, dental flossing has assumed increasing importance as a method of preventing tooth decay. It has come to be appreciated that the removal of plaque between teeth is not accomplished by ordinary brushing and regular flossing contributes significantly to the removal of such plaque between teeth and under the gum. Plaque is a major cause of tooth decay and gum disease (pyorrhea) that, if allowed to build up, hardens and becomes tartar. Such periodontal disease is a serious cause of tooth loss. Normally, flossing is accomplished simply by grasping the floss string at two ends and working the floss between the teeth and gum using the appropriate hand motion.
There are, however, several difficulties with conventional flossing techniques. One difficulty is that the floss easily slips through the fingers during flossing operations unless the floss is wrapped securely around one or more fingers. Unfortunately, such wrapping can be discomforting to the fingers. A further difficulty is that typically a fairly large amount of floss is used to provide adequate regions to hold the floss string, while only a relatively small portion of the floss in the middle of the string is actually used in the flossing operation. That is, in conventional flossing techniques using the hands and fingers to hold the floss a large amount of floss is wasted. Finally, a particular problem with conventional hand flossing techniques is that such techniques not only requires moderate of hand dexterity, but additionally proper positioning of the floss is sometimes impossible because the hands cannot be properly positioned relative to the desired flossing location. Because of the need for moderate hand dexterity, the flossing operation is particularly difficult for certain people, such as those suffering from arthritis or the like.
Several floss devices have been proposed in the past which address some of the problems of conventional hand techniques for flossing. A common floss utensil has two prongs in which a string of floss is secured between each prong. Such a flossing apparatus is advantageous in that the floss utensil can be more easily placed in the mouth at the desired flossing location, does not waste as much floss, and can be used by those persons having minimal hand dexterity.
Still other types of floss utensils have been devised in which a supply of floss is actually stored within the floss utensil. One difficulty with such flossers that store the floss is preventing floss slippage during the flossing operation. To prevent slippage, such flossers typically include one or more upstanding studs around which the floss may be wrapped. That is, a portion of the floss is wrapped around the stud, the floss is then strung between the two spaced apart prongs, and the distal end of the floss is wrapped around the same or another stud. Examples of such flossers include the ez Denta-Flosser as made by pdp Company of Corona Del Mar, Calif.; the De-Plac dental flosser; and "The Flosser" as sold by The Boston Proper mail order catalog.
Still another type of hand held flossing utensil is the Floss-a-matic as sold by Dent-o-Care Products of Gardenia, Calif. In this floss utensil, the floss string is held in place during use by a slidable tension locking bar which transversely displaces the floss. U.S. Pat. No. 3,871,393 apparently relates to this type of flosser.
While such existing flosser utensils are an advance over the more conventional hand technique of flossing, they are nevertheless cumbersome in several respects. In particular, the floss dispensing procedure is somewhat complicated and even after performed does not always hold the floss to prevent shifting of the floss during the flossing operation. Thus, it would be an advance in the art if a floss utensil were devised in which the floss was self-contained, easily dispensed, and yet could be easily and effectively locked in place to prevent floss shifting during the flossing operation.